01x01 : Friends
by Gabrielle Henson
Summary: [First episode in a series] One year after 'Chosen', the gang meets up in Cleveland for a new Council meeting.
1. Teaser

_Disclaimer : Everyone knows who own Buffy and co ! Obviously, it's not me!_

_ The story is the first episode in a series called 'Rocky path' and begins around one year after 'Chosen'_

_Please let me know what you think._

_And by the way, I'm looking for a beta-reader ! _

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The plane had just stopped near the terminal and a tunnel has been launched from the airport.

The airhostesses were fussing for already several minutes, getting the passengers ready for the exit to come soon.

The hubbub of conversations was mixed to the noise of the baggage compartments that were opened then closed, to the noise of the seats' and trousers' material that went this people getting up, ready to jump out the plane after a too long flight.

Finally, the front door opened and the commander's voice rang out in the cabin.

"We thank you for travelling with us et hope you had a nice trip. We wish you a nice stay in Cleveland, United States of America"

The same message was repeated in Italian and the length of passengers started to move toward the exit. At then end of the place, Dawn Summers was showing her impatience with lot of sighs, standing near her seat, ready to jump in the crowd of people slowly moving toward freedom. Close to her, her sister, Buffy, was still sat in her seat, waiting patiently.

"You don't have to fidget that way Dawn, we'll eventually get out of here. Just wait for your turn"

Dawn turned to look at her sister, an annoyed look on her face.

« Why do you have to be so annoying, even for things as simple as getting out of a plane ? »

« 'Cause I'm the big sister and you're the kid » answered Buffy playfully. "That's my job. Some things'll never change."

Dawn smiled to her sister and turned again to the line before her.

"Come, it's our turn" she said, her hand to Buffy.

Buffy took her sister's hand and got up to follow her in the plane's lane, her bag pack thrown over her shoulder. After some minutes of advance, a smile to the airhostesses and to the commander, both young women finally emerged in one of the airport's lane where they followed the other passengers.

« I'm so happy to come here! » Dawn exclaimed. "It's been so long since we saw the others. Do you think everyone will be there? Well, I know about Giles, 'cause he's one setting up that meeting. But what about Xander? And Willow? I know she has a lot of stuff going on lately in Brazil. But she's gonna be here, right? And if she could just let Kennedy in Brazil for that matter, I wouldn't complain. What do you think? And…"

Buffy rolled her eyes, exasperate by her sister's rambling.

"Dawn, please! How do you want me to answer if you're asking so much questions at a time?"

Dawn shut up and cast a puzzled look to her sister, before resuming:

« Yeah, sorry, I forgot that you couldn't remember 2 questions before forgetting. So, do you know if Xander is there?"

Buffy sighed to her sister's comment but decided against commented on it.

"I already told you like hundred times that Xander and Will are there. Et to your great disappointment, Kennedy too"

Dawn rolled her eyes to this.

« I kind of knew, but it can't hurt to hope…" she said, pouting a little. Then, she added, suddenly happy again : "So, are you happy to be here ? 'Cause you know, I'm so glad to see them all again!"

« As your enthusiasm could remained unnoticed! »

Buffy wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulder with affection.

"I'm glad to be here." she asserted

Then, Dawn pushed a door leading to the arrival hallway of Cleveland's airport. Both sisters' eyes travelled around the room, looking for a known face.

Finally, they noticed at the same time a very smiling Giles moving toward them.

Buffy Summers' former watcher reached them quickly and hugged them affectionately.

« Buffy, Dawn ! »

« Giles, I'm so happy to see you! You look good!" exclaimed Dawn, smiling.

Giles smiled back and began to take Dawn's travel bag. But Buffy stopped him immediately.

"Giles, if you want to get useful by carrying stuff, you will have things to do, Dawn's not travelling light!"

Giles had an indulgent smile and insisted to take Dawn's bag. The younger Summers let him do so.

"Well, that's why I'm taking that one right now. I leave the serious things to more skilled people" Giles answered, with a fake severe look on his face.

Buffy smiled and took his arm as the three of them were getting away from the crowd to the luggage belt in the international area.

« so, how was your trip from Rome?"

« So long ! » complained Buffy. "Sometimes, I wish I am a powerful witch to be able to teleport myself! That will prevent me from hearing my kid sister whining all trip long, 'cause she's soooo impatient to see you again!"

Giles smiled to Dawn et put his free arm around her shoulders in a fatherly way.

"You know that Willow actually travels by plane?" He asked to Buffy.

"Maybe it's because, she does NOT have a babbling little sister?" asked Buffy playfully

"Hey!" protested Dawn.

But she chose to ignore her sister and turned to Giles again :

"Have the others arrived yet?" she asked.

« Robin left to pick up Xander at the bus station just before I left. They should have gotten back before us. And Willow and Kennedy arrived later this afternoon from Rio. They should be there just before our first council's meeting. »

"I can't wait to be there!" exclaimed Dawn. "I can't wait to see Xander and Willow again. It's so good to be all together again! I hope they're doing fine!"


	2. Act 1

The Council hotel's lobby was almost deserted when Buffy and Dawn entered after coming down the stairs that lead to the side of the hotel used as residence by the Slayers, Watchers and others Council members.

Both sisters had gotten their own room on Giles' behalf, when most of the Slayers had to share one for two or three girls. Buffy had tried to explain it was not necessary that they had their own room that they could share the same one, Giles had not listened. Really wanting to be nice to them, he had booked a room for each of them.

So the Summers sisters had settled and gotten some rest in there just after their arrival from the airport, while Giles had come back to his duties.

Time of the meeting scheduled by Giles was now close, so Buffy had decided to meet her former Watcher and to check on her friends. She was getting really impatient to see them again.

Several months had passed since their victory over the First. With her departure for Europe, Buffy had not seen much of Willow and Xander since then and she had had even little time to talk to them on the phone.

Seeing them again, hugging them close and be sure they were doing well was her main – and even only – reason for coming here and taking part to this Council meeting.

A meeting that had Dawn very enthusiastic. Not as much as seeing Xander and Willow again, but still, she was really enthusiastic about the meeting. Since Giles had invited them to come in Cleveland some weeks ago, the younger Summers could not hide her impatience and just **bounced** all the time to her sister's despair.

"So, who does take part to this meeting?" Asked Dawn as both young women crossed the lobby to the meeting room.

« Well, Giles, Xander, Willow… »

"I knew that. Apart from US of course" said Dawn slightly annoyed. "We wouldn't be there if it weren't for them."

« Well, from what I know » resumed Buffy patiently. "Except us, there'll probably be the Slayers and Watchers from Cleveland, the new Council heads, Kennedy, Faith and Robin Wood "

« Faith? » asked Dawn with a scowl. "What the hell is she gonna do in a meeting like that one?"

"Well, you know, she and I are the two original called Slayers. I guess it gives us some honors from the council. And maybe she's coming to see Robin. Well, I don't know much, just what Giles told me."

Dawn nodded. She was not really bothered by the former rogue Slayer's presence. Dawn even found her kinda cool sometimes: when she could get over everything bad Faith had done to those she loved. The fact was that Dawn was just surprised. From little she had heard about Faith, the Slayer mainly avoided group gathering and preferred doing her things on her own, without rules or orders. She sometimes checked on Giles or Robin and things seemed to work that way with her. So Dawn was not really sure that Faith would show up during their stay. Except if Buffy's presence in Cleveland gave her a new reason to come.

"Maybe she'll come to see you" suggested Dawn, thinking out loud.

Her sister frowned and turned to her, a questioning look on her face.

« You know, Faith and I are not really friends burning to see each other again as soon as possible"

"I know this. But I think she still tries to have you forgive her"

Buffy pouted and shrugged.

"All this is past. She had come to terms with that now"

"And so had I" she added quickly in a resolute tone, looking at Dawn in the eye.

Dawn nodded and resumed, following her random train of thoughts.

« And Kennedy? I guess she's there as the 'Willow-the-council's-uber-witch's girlfriend' ? »

Buffy couldn't help but laugh when she saw the annoyed look on her sister's face at the mention of Kennedy's name.

« Please, Dawn, when will you come to terms with that ? It's been a year now that they're dating. Willow seems to be happy with her. And Kennedy is a very good Slayer the Council totally trusts"

Dawn scowled to this.

"Willow happy with her? Don't you think it's a little bit strong as a choice for word? Kennedy is so not what Willow needs and…"

Buffy deeply sighed. That conversation would lead nowhere: she already knew that. Her so-brilliant and open-minded sister was inexplicably stubborn and of bad faith when it came to Kennedy and her relationship with Willow.

Buffy had to admit that herself had been surprise and dumbfounded about the younger Slayer and the way Willow had thrown herself into her arms. But for months, they seemed to really get along for what Buffy knew about it. And that was the only thing she cared about.

"Dan, we talked about that like a million times. Willow's maybe not exactly 'happy' but she's really getting better and she's rebuilding herself slowly. Isn't that the most important thing? Kennedy or not?"

Dawn sighed and Buffy recognized immediately that trademark frown on her sister face, which would appear each time they had this conversation. Dawn would always stay on her positions, refusing sternly to give any credit to Buffy's point. So Buffy was not surprised when as usual at this point, Dawn vaguely gestured with her hand, pointing out this way that the conversation was going to come to an end.

"Just don't talk about that anymore. We'll never agree anyway"

Buffy dropped the subject as her sister suggested, even she would have wanted to go farther to try and convince Dawn that Kennedy was worthy that she gave her a chance.

But she'd do that another time. And Dawn could not help but add :

"We stop here for now, but I still think she's so not what Willow needs"

And she punctuated her sentence by staring intently at her sister, showing that way that she thought this assertion was an indisputable fact and truth for any sane person in the world.

Buffy kept quiet and pushed the door leading to the meeting room.

* * *

The meeting room was not as big as Buffy had imagined it. She expected something imposing but now faced a room not bigger than one of her old high school classroom. But the room was filled with conversations and laughter. Buffy immediately spotted Xander talking animatedly to Giles and a woman of she had sometimes caught a glimpse and she knew to be a Watcher.

Buffy walked to them and saw a giant smile forming on the carpenter's face when he spotted her. She smiled back instinctively and sped up her pace. Dawn chose that exact moment to start running towards Xander and threw herself into his arms, as the good hysterical teenager she was. Xander hugged her affectionately as he usually did, before releasing her and wrapped his arms around Buffy who hugged him back.

"Hey! You started without me!" exclaimed a new but well-known voice behind them. They both turned around and saw Willow coming their way followed closely by Kennedy.

Xander immediately moved forward towards the redhead and pulled her into his arms. When he released her, Willow and Buffy came face to face, an uncertain smile on their face.

« Hey, Buffy » Willow said, raising shyly her hand in front of her as to great the Slayer.

Xander then wrapped his arms around each girl's shoulders and invited them in a warm hug like they did not have one for ages. Both girls hugged back without hesitation.

Dawn looked at them smiling, before turning to Kennedy who was too staring at the scene with a smile. As soon as the Slayer appeared in her field of vision, Dawn's smile vanished from her face. The young Summers crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the brunette from head to toes while casting her an annoyed glance. Kennedy noticed it immediately but did not really pay attention: she was so used to those dark looks. Her first thought had been to hug Dawn to great her but Dawn's behavior had convinced her not to do so. So, she simply stood next to Dawn, waiting for the three friends to part and give her a life again. Dawn seemed to read her thoughts.

"It can last a long time you know, before they remember we're here"

Kennedy pretended not to notice Dawn's cold tone and tried to joke:

"Maybe we can cough or something?"

« Well, if you can't wait some minutes that they celebrate being together again as the close friends they are for so long, maybe you can"

« Dawn ! »

Buffy's severe voice rang and the three friends parted to face both forgotten women. Xander turned to Kennedy and hugged while Willow was doing the same with Dawn.

"How's my second favorite Slayer?"

"My little Dawn!"

Kennedy smiled. Xander had always been the only one within the group to treat her with true affection. Even if she sometimes thought he was acting this way because of the phantasms he probably had about her and Willow together, he was the only one she was et ease with.

On the other hand, the Summers sisters seemed to be leery about her. Buffy had always tried to hide her feelings with much or less luck and with the time that had passed, Kennedy could feel the other Slayer's mistrust going away. But with Dawn, there was nothing to do. Despite time and all the efforts Kennedy desperately made to be accepted by Willow's friends, only Dawn's presence was enough to remind her that she would never, oh NEVER, be loved by them the way Tara had been.

When Xander released her, Buffy hugged her quickly in her turn. Then Giles, who had just come nearer, did the same, before hugging Willow in a fatherly gesture.

« It's been a so long time » willow said, still clutching the former Watcher. "I missed you!"

Then, she released Giles and pulled Xander and Buffy again in her arms.

"You too!"

They were again in each other's arms under Giles' tender gaze.

"So" Xander said, after steeping back from the hug. "What's new?"

Both young women smiled to their friend. But Dawn was the one to answer for both of them:

« Lots and lots of new things ! Lots and lots of new clothes!"

Buffy cast a dark look to her sister but never had time to answer as Dawn went on:

« But for Willow, nothing new I'll say, Kennedy's still there! »

« Dawn ! »

Buffy's voice was serious and to the frown on her face, Dawn knew she just crossed a line. But the teenager could not fail to notice Giles' amused glance and even Willow's forgiver one. And Kennedy was the one who cut Buffy when she was about to chid her sister:

"Drop it Buffy. Coming from her, I know what to expect"

Buffy seemed to hesitate a second but finally nodded and perched on a table nearby. Willow did the same and sat beside her.

« So, Will these last months? Brazil, Brazil? »

Willow's face lit up at this mention and she switched to full babble-mode:

« Yes, exactly! Brazil, Brazil ! It's such a fascinating experience! I never traveled in that part of the world before, you know! Never really get out of the country! Actually, never get out from California! Well… » She wavered for half a second and her face crumpled a little and she lowered her eyes, as suddenly unable to face Buffy in the eye. « Well, except for England I mean… » She added in a hushed tone before resuming with the same enthusiasm as earlier: « You should see the demons we met there: breeds we never saw in Sunnydale! And Sunnydale was known to be full of all kind of demons and…»

"Easy Will! Don't forget to breathe!" Kennedy exclaimed, obviously amused by the witch's demeanor.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry! So, you, what about Rome?"

"just like you, my first trip away from mother country! I think we're fine there. Dawn adapts quite well. True, Dawn?"

Dawn winced to her sister.

"Obviously not as well as you. I miss you all way too much, we're so far!"

Saying that, the teenager threw her arm around Willow's waist and hugged her against her while pulling Xander with them with her free hand. Both smiled and Willow patted tenderly on her shoulder.

"That's so good to see you again!"

* * *

Faith stretch out on the bed she was laying on and put her sleepy eyes on the alarm clock on the night table. She sighed a long sigh when she saw the screen showing 4:12. she had to get up. She was already late. The meeting was scheduled to start at 4. New reason for her to be noticed. And not in a good way of course. She got up regretfully, caught a pair of jeans that were laying on the floor et slipped on it quickly. Then, she started to put on her boots. Finally, she ran her hand through her hair to get it a little clean and got to the door.

She quickly went down the stairs to the hotel's lobby. No one was in sight, except for the receptionist who was fussing behind his desk. He greeted her politely and she waved back. The dark-haired Slayer crossed the lobby quickly and found herself soon in front of the meeting room's closed door. The noise she could hear coming from behind the door pointed out that several persons were talking. She deeply breathed in, opened the door and walked in the room.

The meeting had not started yet and several groups were talking separately. Nobody paid any particular attention to her coming in. Faith noticed immediately Buffy and her friends. The blonde Slayer was sat on a table on her right. Willow was sat awkwardly beside her while Xander stood in front of them, his arm around Dawn's shoulders. The four of them were in deep conversation while Kennedy, sat close to Willow, seemed to just listen.

"Faith ! I started to be desperate to see you today!"

Faith jumped slightly. Absorbed as she was staring at the scoobies, she had failed to notice Robin Wood coming her way. Her lover.

« Robin! » Faith exclaimed, at the same time surprise and embarrassed. « Sorry for today. Patrol all night. Killed lot of demons. Slept all day. Never moved from my room"

Robin frowned slightly and stopped the gesture he was doing toward her.

"You patrolled again last night? You know there're enough Slayers here? You were not scheduled to patrol last night I think?"

Faith's face crumpled to Robin's reproachful tone.

"C'me on! You know me. I'm a Slayer, I needed my little patrol before going to sleep, that's all »

« Did you tell someone? There're rules to follow here. If something had happened to you, we'd never have known!"

Faith rolled her eyes and got away toward the Scooby gang.

"Well, as you can see for yourself, nothing happened to me!"

"Hey, check this out, the whole Scooby gang!" she exclaimed when she was close to the little group. "And even the fake one" she added gesturing to Kennedy.

« Faith! » The latter answered. « Always so nice! And I thought that finding a guy would make you more sociable. Maybe guys are not what you need after all, maybe you should try girls! »

"Are you offering?" Faith smirked. "Red, you should look better after your girl!"

« Well, now that our two dark-eyed Slayers had greeted each others, maybe we could get to the civilized part. What about: hi Faith, how are you?

Saying that, Xander moved to the dark-haired Slayer, a light smile on his lips, his arms slightly opened.

"You're really about to hug me?" Asked a dumfounded Faith, staring blankly at Xander.

The young man answered nothing and took Faith in his arms before she could protest.

« That's right »

« Well, Xander is the most affectionate of all of us" threw Buffy while raising her hand. "I think we'll content ourselves with a wave of our hands"

« Good for me' answered Faith, doing as Buffy and gesturing towards the four girls.

Then she sat on a table in front of the group.

"So, what's up B? I thought you were retired?"

"Kinda" Buffy answered. "But Giles insisted for me to come and when I got to know that my friends would be there – saying this, she gestured to Willow and Xander – "I decided to come and spend some weeks of vacation here. What about you? I thought you were playing alone, as always?"

Faith had a sardonic smile.

« I do. But I like to know about things from time to time.»

"And anyway you're working for the Council" Kennedy added.

"And there's Robin" Willow said, pointing him with her chin.

« Well, why asking if you know already everything. » Faith said in an annoyed tone. "So, you two, the uber dykes, how's Brazil?"

"Hey ! Don't use that word!" spat an angry Kennedy moving towards Faith.

Willow put a soothing hand on her girlfriend's arm.

"Drop it Kenn. She's doing it on purpose to get you angry."

Kennedy turned to Willow, then to Faith again and saw the superior smile plastered on the other Slayer's face.

"No need to ask who's the brain in that couple!"

Kennedy almost reacted again but this time, Buffy's strong grip stopped her. Kennedy's gaze met the blonde Slayer's one.

« Coming from Faith, you shouldn't get too mad » she said simply.

The two of them exchanged a smile before turning to the third Slayer who was looking at their team, slightly unhinged. But she pulled herself together quickly.

"Everybody against me? Why would I be surprised after all?"


	3. Act 2

The meeting had finally come to an end. Buffy had spent most of her time talking low with Xander and some rare times with Willow. The latter was far too absorbed by Giles' speech to fully join their conversation.

She had even cast a nearly severe glance to them when Buffy had failed to contain a short laugh to one of the carpenter's joke.

Sometimes, when Kennedy switched off Giles' uninterrupted waves of words, she slipped into the conversation for some minutes, most of the time invited by Xander.

But most the time, she just tried to follow what was said, just to know what Willow would talk about later. Which was better for Dawn, who never missed to cast her a dark glance whenever she opened her mouth.

The younger Summers for her part, seemed to be really interested in the Slayers' last months activities reports and for the prospects about the Slayers' training in the world.

Not too far from the group, Faith was swaying on her chair, obviously bored to death and totally inattentive. Her gaze was repeatedly traveling around the room and she was pushing long bored sighs.

From time to time, she cast a glance on Buffy and Xander who seemed to have way more fun than her. Other times, she looked at Robin who was fussing near Giles, nodding seriously to the former Watcher's lecture and sometimes taking the floor to explain how the Council was

deploying its troops in the whole world for a year now.

Faith was wondering what had pushed her to answer Giles's invitation to come to the meeting. Robin's presence? Well, it had been weeks they had not seen each other and she did not need to come here and now if she wanted to see him. Buffy and the Scooby gang's? Why would she want to see them? After all, they still saw her as a potential threat, a sub-Slayer likely to slip from the right road at any time. "Well, I'm exaggerating a little" she thought for herself after considering the weight of her thoughts. But just a little.

So she had come. She did not quite remember why but she had come. And the dark-haired Slayer had let out a deep relieved sigh when Giles had finally said the words, which allowed

everyone to get back to whatever they had to do.

Faith looked briefly at Buffy's watch: it was already 8pm. Faith frowned heavily in surprise: she had just spent the last three hours in this room and could not already remember anything that had been told.

Maybe it was the thing with organizations: hierarchy, rules, congratulations and reprimands. And all this during hours for just everyone having his turn.

Faith turned her head the Scoobies who were getting up and were getting ready to leave the room. Buffy and Xander were now talking louder and Dawn was busy showing something to Willow.

"You took notes?" a dumbfounded Buffy exclaimed while pointing to her sister's copybook.

Dawn turned around to face her and cast her an annoyed and severe glance.

"I did. I'm still interested in what's the council doing. Unlike you"

« I'm interested, even if i don't take notes » protested Buffy. "But… taking notes! See…" she added after a silence "even Will didn't take notes!"

Saying this, Buffy turned to her best friend and pointed her empty hands.

"Well, you know, I've got a good memory…" began Willow

« She's the brainy type, » added Kennedy without letting her finish her sentence. "She doesn't need to take notes, she'll remember everything!"

Kennedy was looking proudly at Willow, smiling warmly to her. Dawn groused something in a low voice for nobody to hear, before adding louder in a piercing tone:

" 'And that's my girlfriend!" she exclaimed, mocking Kennedy's tone.

Saying this, Dawn turned around quickly, not waiting for Kennedy or her sister to react. Buffy let escape a loud sigh before turning to the brunette Slayer:

"I'm sorry about this. Don't pay attention, it'll eventually pass"

Kennedy shrugged and did not answer. Willow came closer and put a soothing hand on her girlfriend's shoulder and Kennedy shivered a little. Willow smiled to her before getting close to Buffy and asking as low as she could for the blonde Slayer to hear her:

"She's still not getting used to it right?"

Buffy's lips puckered up in something that could be read as a sympathetic smile. Then she shook her head and answered in the same tone used by Willow to ask her question:

"Not really"

Willow nodded, sharing the same sorry expression on her face with her friend.

« It's not important, » she said, tapping amicably on Buffy's shoulder. "She just needs more time. I understand"

Buffy shrugged, opened her mouth and closed it without saying anything. She did not understand. She did not understand that Dawn could be so openly unpleasant with Kennedy after all those months. That Dawn could not just be happy for Willow just like Xander and herself were was beyond her understanding.

"So ladies, we're staying here or we're going to the restaurant?"

Xander had gotten up in his turn and was now standing in front of both young women et was giving them a charming smile with his hands clasped in front of him.

"It's already eight. Time for a good meal, what do you think ? I'm taking you?"

Saying this, Xander held on of his arms to each of her friends, who took it with a smile.

"Good idea, I'm starving!"

The three friends were about to cross the doorstep followed by Kennedy when Giles came to them. The former Watcher had his hands in his dark gray cotton flannel trousers' pockets and an almost embarrassed smile when he addressed them:

"Hum, kids… you're going out?" he asked in an halting tone.

"Actually, I was talking the girls into having dinner" Xander answered. "I have to say you kept us a long long time"

"Do you want to join us?" asked Willow.

Then the witch's face suddenly lighted up and she virtually batted her hands while adding:

« It would be great, a nice diner, all together just like… »

the end of her sentence died on her lips before she pronounced it and her face darkened briefly. So briefly that nobody had time to notice before Willow pulled herself together again.

"Are you coming with us Giles?" she asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Giles smiled kindly to the young woman's demeanor. He cast a quick glance behind his back then turned again to the group with a sorry look on his face.

"Well, we still have some points to talk about with some council members. It'll be hard for tonight… But tomorrow…"

"Not a problem Giles" interrupted Buffy. "Duty calls, you're a great man with a lot of responsibilities now. We understand. But you have to promise to have free time for us during our stay. Or, I will be forced to use some Slayer strength to come and get you myself if I have and…"

Giles began to laugh and raised his hand to stop the Slayer's rambling.

"Hopefully, it won't come to that sort of things. I'll be free tomorrow"

"Good. So have a good night and see you tomorrow" Xander said, taking Buffy and Willow by the waist.

« Have a good evening Giles, » the three girls added together.

« Hum, Buffy… »

The group was already getting away and stopped before turning to the Watcher.

"Do you have a minute please?"

"Yeah, sure"

The turning again to Xander, Willow and Kennedy, Buffy added:

"Go ahead, I'll catch up with you later guys"

The three of them nodded and obeyed.

« See you later then » Xander said simply while the small group was going away in the corridor.

Buffy looked at them disappearing then turned to Giles, a quizzical look on her face.

« Well, I just wanted to talk with you a little, » explained Giles as he was polishing his glasses in a gesture Buffy had seen me do like millions times.

Buffy smiled and crossed her arms, waiting patiently that Giles went on.

"I wanted to know how was your new life, how you were getting used to all those changes?"

Buffy smiled again, amused by Giles' obvious embarrassment, and made pretence to think intensely to the question.

"Oh, well, how to put this? No more vampires to slay every night, no more half nights to sleep, living by daylight, sharing moments with my sister without having to think about all the supernatural disasters I have to prevent. Hum…" she frowned heavily with exaggeration. " I think those are changes I got quite used to without problems"

"So, you're happy?"

Buffy's face light up with a big smile and Giles saw her gaze shine in a way he could not remember having seen it shine for months and years, giving him his answer.

« Yes, Giles, I'm happy as I hadn't been for a long while. I feel free. And good. And I have to say, after those years, well, quite hard. It wasn't something I was expecting. But I'm good now. Really good."

Giles smiled back to her and hugged affectionately.

« I'm really happy to hear this. Really I am." Giles said, nodding his head convincingly. "And Dawn? What about Dawn?"

"Oh, I think she got used to our new life quite well too. She likes the town, she made new friends and she enjoys our common life a lot I think, even if she'll ever refuse to admit she loves to live with me!"

Giles smiled favorably to that last comment.

"She sometimes asks when we're gonna come back to live in Cleveland, or if I'm gonna come back to the slaying part. 'Cause you know, there's just one thing bothering her…" Buffy went on. " Xander's and Willow's absence. And yours. She misses all three of you a lot. She'd like that we were all close to each other, living like a family where we see each other more than twice a year. But… I don't want to have all this stuff too close to her. I tried so hard to protect her from my world without succeeding and she got through a lot of hard stuff. Too much hard stuff. Now that we can live a normal life, I don't want to see her facing all this again."

"You know Buffy, I don't think that the worst things she had to face were all linked with the fact that you were the Slayer…"

"Well, if you're talking about mom's death, you're right. But, being the Key? My death? My resurrection? Tara's death? It was all about me being the Slayer. And it's way too much for a so young girl."

Buffy stopped a second; seeming lost in some far away thoughts, before she resumed with a laugh:

"Well, as she seems not to bear Kennedy at all, I think it's better we're far, she would drive her nuts!"

Giles smiled again before a preoccupied wince appeared on his face.

"Still not used to Kennedy?"

Buffy shook her head and let a long sigh escape.

"There's nothing to do with that. She's totally stubborn on that matter. Though, everything seemed to be good at first. I don't get it. While Willow seems to be better… What do you think Giles? Xander, and Willow. They're doing better, right?"

Giles nodded with caution.

"Yes, yes… That's what I feel. They seemed to be better."

Buffy smiled again to Giles's confirmation.

"Well, that's what I felt from what I heard from them in the last months. But, you know, you see them a lot often… I'm happy to hear this. I don't want to be the only one to have a good life now…"

She stopped, her eyes riveted to the floor, deeply lost in thoughts, replaying in her head the last years' events. Her mother's death. Her own death. Her resurrection. Her difficulty to learn to live again. Tara's death. Willow's fall. The first. Anya's death. A swirl of memories each harder than the previous tore a groan from her that Giles did not hear. She remembered a common saying she had read one day in Latin: _Post tenebrax, lux._

"I'm good now," She repeated firmly while raising her head to Giles again. "And all I want now is to share this new happiness with my friends"

After darkness, light.

It was all about that now. Buffy had gone through dark and cruel hours, days, months and years. And now all this pain was stepping aside slowly to let in something sweeter, lighter, brighter. Just more livable. And now that Buffy was saved at last, what she wanted the most was to be able to tell the same about the ones she had once claimed as her family and who had adopted her that way.

* * *

Faith looked at the Scooby gang getting up and going to the room's exit. She saw them stopping by the door when Giles stopped them. She observed them talking some seconds, saw Xander getting away with Willow and Kennedy while Buffy was staying with Giles. She was about to get up and follow the group when a familiar voice rang out behind her.

"Faith ! You're leaving?"

Robin. Faith was so engrossed in her attempt to build on her amazing Slayer's hearing to listen to Giles' and Buffy's conversation that she had almost forgotten about him. Disturbed in her immediate project, she turned away regretfully from the blonde Slayer and her Watcher to face her past lover.

"I was thinking about going on patrol" she answered in a casual tone. "Night falls, so you see what I mean: time for me to go out and kill some things."

Robin frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Faith thought she saw an annoyance look pass by his face but he pulled himself together again immediately.

"You know you don't have to patrol tonight. There're a lot of Slayers in Cleveland"

"And a lot of vampires too. It's a good town to hunt"

Robin's frown intensified a second.

"Maybe you can start this again tomorrow?" He offered. "This way, we could spend the evening together if you want. It's a been a while we didn't see each other and…"

Faith hesitated on what to do. She cast a quick glance behind her and noticed that Buffy was still with Giles near the door. She turned again to Robin, torn between her original plans and Robin's offer to spend the night with him. After all, it has been weeks, even maybe months – Faith did not clearly remember – that between her not coming back to the council not too much and Robin going often in England, they had seen each other quite rarely lately. She could not really say she missed him. But she was not against having a fun night with him.

On the other hand, Buffy was in town and it was even rarer than her sex nights with Robin Wood. Faith knew that some years before, she would have choose quickly between a night with a man like Robin and a probably hard confrontation with a still resentful Buffy. But right now, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"Faith?"

Faith decided to split the difference. First Buffy and patrol. Then Robin. And that solution would spare her all kind of flourishes. Directly the serious stuff when coming back from patrol. Just the way she liked it.

"Well, I'll meet you in your room after patrol, what do you think?"

Saying this, she cast a new glance behind her to see Buffy getting ready to leave Giles. Robin followed her gaze and sighed.

"Hum…Buffy's in town, so a patrol with her is in order, right?" he offered in a comprehensive tone.

Faith did not answer. But Robin knew the answer. And he would have to do with it for tonight. Most of the time, he didn't know where to stand in respect to her, nor he understood her bewildering way to come to him before disappearing for weeks. She would come after patrol, he would have to go with it.

"See you tonight then" he added, without mentioning Faith's silence. "Be careful"

Then, he got away without even thinking to hug the Slayer. She let a relieved sight escape her lips. Robin understood. Or at least, he pretended to understand. It was enough for Faith. She turned again to the door. She saw Giles hugging Buffy and wishing her a good evening before meeting three others Watchers who were still sat in the room. The blonde Slayer disappeared in the corridor and Faith gathered her courage to follow her.

"Hey ! B!"

Faith saw the blonde Slayer's shrug and heard her long annoyed sigh telling her that this way in was probably not the best. But Buffy stopped in the corridor, and turned to Faith, an impatient look on her face.

"Faith" She said coldly. "What do you want?"

Faith caught up quickly with her and Buffy resumed walking.

"Well, I was thinking…maybe you'd like to go on patrol tonight?"

Saying this, Faith cast a glance to the blonde Slayer, in order to size her reaction up.

"Of course" Faith resumed quickly. "I know you're kinda retired and all, but what about a good patrol ? It can do some good. And if you're worried about your lack of training, no panick, I'm on top form and I can…"

Buffy stopped and put her glance in Faith's. The dark-haired Slayer shut her mouth when she saw her companion stop.

"Faith, if you think I could need your protection, you're SO wrong, I can totally handle myself. Sorry for disappointing you"

"It's not what I meant B" Faith said with a sardonic smile on her lips while she buried her hands in her pockets. "I know you're a big girl and that you're the best Slayer, I didn't want to take that from you"

Buffy noticed the sarcasm in Faith's voice and rolled her eyes. It seemed that Faith would always exasperate her.

"Stop with that please. And I didn't think to go on patrol tonight, I was getting ready to have dinner with my friends.

"After dinner maybe? There'll still be vampires to slay after dinner y'know?"

"God, Faith, patrol and patrol again, is there anything else you can do?"

"Well, I don't have anything better to do right now. I can waith for you if you want"

Buffy sighed again.

"Do you want to join us for dinner? And then, I'll come with you. I'll let out some steam this way"

"Really?"

Faith now looked at Buffy almost with enthusiasm.

"Why not patrolling before? You know how slaying makes hungry and…"

"Faith!" interrupted Buffy. "the others are waiting for me. So AFTER. Or not at all"

Faith raised her hands in front of her in a defensive gesture.

"Easy B! No need to get angry. After if you want"

"So, after!"

Faith had stayed a little away from the group, observing the Scooby gang members talking happily around a good meal offered by the council in the hotel's restaurant. Each of them had told the story of his life since the end of the First with much details. The dark-haired Slayer had listened - with interest or boredom depending the case – to Buffy and Dawn talking about their new life in Rome – deeply boring according to Faith – then to Xander telling his adventures in Africa – more interesting thought Faith – and finally to Willow and Kennedy giving details about their mission in Brazil with much enthusiasm – and Faith was surprised to think that Kennedy had actually the best part. The dark haired Slayer looked at the way they were happy to see each other with some jealousy and dreamt about far-away lands with bitterness.

Of course, herself wasn't exactly bored. But seeing Kennedy's overflowing enthusiasm, she could not help but think that share her battle with someone you love and teach her skills to younger Slayers seemed to be worthwhile. Kennedy seemed really happy to live that life and never lost her excellent mood despite the bad jokes Faith could refrain herself from throwing at her and mostly despite the hurtful comments Dawn kept addressing to her.

Faith had noticed that real quick: Dawn did not like Kennedy and did not bother to tell her and remind her that she was not a real Scooby or never would. Faith had also noticed Buffy's and even Xander's severe looks to the younger Summers when she was doing so, and Willow's sad ones.

Sometimes Willow and Xander shared a smile whose meaning was probably just theirs. There was something between them that linked them in a more particular way than before. That something, Faith thought she knew what it was: the loss of a loved one. The loss of THE loved one.

She had never known that kind of relationship with anyone nor known that feeling and wondered what was worse: losing the one you love or had never loved and being loved.

Finally life had not been tender with them either. Faith did not see them like well to-dos any more. The shadows left on their face by numerous ordeals they faced in the past, told her how much that little group had been damaged, bashed up, almost broken. But here and now, they were trying to live and believe in future again.

She had heard Buffy telling that to Giles before. It was something she had never been able to do.

"So, Faith, what about you?"

Faith jumped on her seat. She had not expected Xander asking her questions and to become the group's focus.

"Oh, you know, nothing new. Patrol. Slay. Here and there. The drill!"

Xander nodded with an amused grin.

"The drill!"

"Still with Robin?" Dawn asked.

Faith found herself ill-at-ease. Talking about her was not what she was doing best. And there was not so much to tell on that matter. She gestured vaguely with her hand.

"Yeah… more or less…"

She was not really convincing. And the whole group was looking at her with a skeptical look. She decided to cut short when she saw the empty plates.

"So, this patrol, B, we go?"

"You're going on patrol?" Kennedy exclaimed with her trademark enthusiasm.

"You're going to patrol?" repeated Dawn in dumbstruck tone.

"Quickly" Buffy confirmed. "Just to let off the steam after a long plane trip and a very long meeting."

"So, let's go!" Faith said, getting up.

Buffy got up in her turn, then Kennedy.

"I'm going to pick stakes" Faith said, already getting away. "We'll meet in front of the hotel."

Then she disappeared without waiting for an answer. Buffy noticed then a group of six or seven girls gathered not too far and looking at her with insistence but not seeming to dare getting closer. Buffy gave them an engaging smile and finally one of them made a step forward.

"I'm Jenny" she said quickly. "Head of the Cleveland Slayers. We heard you talking about going on patrol and we were wondering if you'd be okay for us to come with you"

Buffy was a little surprised at first, then pulled herself together again. After all, Faith and herself were almost living legends for those girls.

"Yeah, sure. Go and pick your stuff and let's meet Faith in front of the hotel."

"Maybe, we can lend you something?" Jenny suggested. "We had really good stuff"

"Great!" Kennedy exclaimed from behind Buffy. « Let's go see that! »

Buffy nodded and turned to Dawn.

"I won't be too long Dawn, promise."

"You're coming with us, Will?" Asked Kennedy, turning to her girlfriend.

Willow smiled and put her arms around Dawn's and Xander's shoulders.

"No, thank you, I'm staying here to take advantage of my little Dawn and my Xander."

Both of them smiled back and gave her back the tender gesture.

"Okay, see you later then"

"Be careful"

The two Slayers nodded, gestured to their friends and followed the Cleveland's Slayers outside the restaurant.


	4. Act 3

A high gray arch marked the entrance, showing in gloom old dirty letters "municipal cemetery". Cleveland main cemetery put up here its dark graves and sinister crypts, light only by a crescent moon in an otherwise totally dark sky.

Wild grass grew along the deserted alleys and climbed on the less visited steles: the ones whose lettering showed names of people too-long departed for anyone to care to honor their memory any more.

On the other hand, some graves seemed like they wanted to scream to the world how much the dead had been loved and missed, seeing how flowers and adornments were obvious to the most absent-minded person.

Attentive ones would notice that kind of details.

But there were not too much visitors that late.

And the group that were moving silently in the main alley was obviously not here to admire the flowers or for a last prayer before going to sleep.

A dozen of young girls were walking cautiously in the cemetery, paying attention not to do a sound, all senses in alarm. The younger ones were probably around 14 and were surrounded by girls a little older and stronger but all probably being less than 20 years old. Only the three girls who were leading the way seemed older than their companions. All of them were holding something in their hands: weapons, which designed shapeless shadows on the rocky ground of the cemetery.

Buffy had just a simple stake in her hand and Faith had done the same. But a long, tapering dagger was hanging from both original Slayers' belts. Kennedy had chosen a crossbow, a weapon she specially liked, among a collection of stakes and knives on her belt or hidden in her pockets.

The young Slayers were all holding similar equipments, each of them taking example on her model among Buffy, Faith and Kennedy.

The latter had been really proud to notice she was more popular than the rogue Slayer for the younger girls. Faith had just retorted that Buffy remained the most popular. But Kennedy did not care, explaining that no one could compete with a Slayer who had come back twice from the dead. Faith had shrugged and let Kennedy to her enthusiasm.

Buffy the most popular of them? The contrary would have been surprising. Buffy had ALWAYS been popular. And Faith had learnt to do with it.

The three elders suddenly stopped all together dead in their tracks. They shared a quick glance and her fingers tensed on their stakes for Buffy and Faith, on her crossbow for Kennedy. Jenny's voice reached them as this one came to Buffy's height.

"Vampires, on our left, in the next alley"

Buffy nodded and cast a glance to the younger Slayers behind her before considering Faith and Kennedy by her side.

"We're enough. We're going in the red"

"Of course" Faith grumbled. "I could take care of them myself. We just bolt in the middle and no details!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and noticed Jenny's surprised glance to Faith's comment.

"Will you ever change?" the blonde Slayer asked.

"Hey!" Faith protested. « I'VE changed! »

« So, we're going or we're having a lecture? » interrupted Kennedy.

Buffy did not answer but took the alley on her left, closely followed by the whole group. The blonde Slayer could feel the girls getting excited and the adrenaline building up in her own body.

The small group crossed the distance between them and the group of vampires within seconds. They were between fifteen and twenty according to Buffy's quick appraisal. A gathering quite important she thought, but it did not seem to disturb neither the Cleveland Slayers, nor Faith and Kennedy, always ready to get them into trouble without asking questions. Buffy guessed that groups that numerous were commonplace around here.

Upon their arrival, the vampires stopped what looked like conciliation between them, probably about their plans for the evening. A wild smile played on their lips and one of them took a step forward and sniggered.

"Look what we're given for dinner!"

Buffy crossed her arms, a mocking smile on her lips. The smile on the distorted face of the vampire vanished when his eyes fell on the stake Buffy held in her hand.

"Slayers" screamed one of the vampires.

This scream was enough to make the group beat a retreat as fast as they could by a dark alley behind them. But the Slayers were so quick to react that the retreat was cut short after just some steps. The fight engaged with two Slayers facing about three vampires. Buffy found herself facing the leader while Kennedy was shooting the runaways with her crossbow and Faith was giving kicks and punches with her trademark rage.

The blonde Slayer noticed she was far from rusty despite her total lack of training since her departure for Rome. She avoided easily a punch her opponent threw to her face and shot back by a kick in his stomach, which had the vampire step back within several meters. Buffy jumped after him and chained her blows without letting him time to recover. As she was about to finish him, she felt another one coming from behind and flipped-flopped. She slipped on the side and her new opponent's fist ended its trajectory on the previous one's face. Buffy let escape a smirk.

"Hey ! I'm here! That one's your buddy!"

The vampire turned around, obviously upset by his mistake and threw himself on Buffy with full force. But it was not enough. Buffy took shelter behind a stele, which was immediately destroyed by the vampire's fist. Buffy stepped back to another grave and leant on the tombstone to somersault above her opponent and finally stood behind him. When she sank her stake in his heart, the vampire turned around and Buffy could see disbelief pass in his eyes before he disappeared in dust. The blonde Slayer did not have time to enjoy her work, her first opponent attacking her again.

A harder fight than before started between them. Blows and kicks started to rain down, sometimes effective and sometimes not. Buffy's agility gave her the advantage but he kept striking back.

"Need a hand B?"

Faith's voice rang to her ears from her back. Buffy turned back quickly and saw Faith holding under her arm a vampire who was struggling to escape as she was about to dust him.

"I'm good" Buffy answered, half-amused, half-annoyed and raised a thumb to tell Faith she could handle herself.

She turned tack again to her opponent who was trying to take advantage of this lapse of concentration. But Buffy rolled to the floor to avoid his blow and tripped him up in the same gesture. The vampire stumbled and the blonde Slayer jumped up on her feet. She took a step forward with lightning speed and plunged her stake in the vampire's back, right in his heart. Buffy didn't even look at him turn to dust and turned her gaze to the battlefield to gauge the situation. Faith jumped to her side and cast a circular glance to the scene played under their eyes.

All the Slayers were still fighting one or several vampires and Kennedy had finally dropped her crossbow to fight with fists and feet with an evident pleasure playing on her face.

"Looks like the slaying ain't over!" Faith exclaimed happily.

Then, she jumped back into the crowd, choosing the first opponent she found to give him a powerful uppercut. Buffy sighed and tried to count the remaining vampires, surprised that the group had not already overcome them.

"Others arrived" said Jenny, appearing beside her and answering Buffy's silent questions.

The younger Slayer seemed a little out of breath and to her entangled hair and bruised face, Buffy understood she had just finished with a particularly tough opponent.

"Others?" Buffy asked, frowning.

"Yeah, others" Jenny nodded. "Ten more"

In front of Buffy's puzzled expression, Jenny couldn't help but smile and added :

"It's commonplace around here. Groups that numerous. I guess they try to get organized since our arrival"

* * *

The battle's noise would have weirdly contrasted with the silence reigning over the new Watchers council's gardens. A light breeze was blowing and the sweet moonlight jagged the shadows of the centennial trees standing in the back and was reflected in the clear water of a swimming pool at 30 meters from the hotel's doors and surrounded by little flourishing bushes.

Willow was there. She was sat on the swimming-pool edge and had her hand dunked in the water underneath her. Her other arm was put on her tucked up knees. Her chin was on her hand and her gaze seemed to stare blankly to the wavelets that were forming around her fingers.

"So, my sweet princess is waiting for her… princess?"

Willow did not jump to Xander's voice. She had felt him getting closer. She raised her head and saw his profile in the hotel's lights. He was smiling to her, with that smile she knew by heart and that seemed so essential for her survival.

Willow smiled back and the carpenter closed the distance between them.

That smile Willow was giving him, Xander knew it all too well. It was not her big happy smile, the one showing only joy and happiness, it was a melancholic one, almost sad, the only one Willow was able to give when her thoughts came back to Tara.

Xander let himself fall smoothy near the one he was so proud to call his best friend.

"What did you do with Dawn?" asked Willow in a sweet voice.

"Oh, after what seemed hours to play all kind of cards games, I let her talk with a group of Slayers." He answered, gesturing vaguely with his hand. " You know, about girlie stuff"

Willow smiled again, warmly this time.

« It was a so long time, » she whispered.

"What?" asked Xander.

"Us, all together in the same place for weeks"

Xander nodded seriously.

"Yeah. I missed you, you know?"

Willow said yes with her chin.

"I missed you too"

"Really? I thought that between your training to the Slayers and your demons hunts, you didn't have time left to think about us!"

He might have added her romantic and sexual life with Kennedy to Willow's list of activities but her melancholic and dreamy look was one screaming that Tara was running in her head, and he thought that probably a joke about Kennedy would have the best effect right now.

Willow did not even notice his joking tone and resumed in a blank tone:

"It's weird, you know. We spent all those years living together, never leaving each other. We faced the worst together and we just… split for months just like all this was past and over."

"But, it's past, Will" Xander said slowly. "It's past"

He seemed to hesitate, to search his words.

"But, it doesn't mean that what's between us is over or less strong. I was… so happy to see you all again. Weren't you?"

"Of course I was! I waited for this for so long! It's just…"

Willow stopped, looking for the good words to say.

"Sometimes, I'm melancholic about all this, you know, Sunnydale, high school, university… Well, more about university than high school of course… But us, all of us united like a family. Do you remember that day, when Tara's dad came to take her and Buffy came between and said we were a family? We were so happy… We didn't know yet how dangerous Glory was, we didn't know yet how much our lives were about to change…"

Xander sighed, himself suddenly back in memories that seemed so far. He put tenderly his arm around the redhead's shoulders and pulled her to him.

"But, ain't you happy now?" he whispered in her ear.

Willow turned to him and smiled. She then let her head rest on her friend's shoulder, enjoying silently the moment.

"I am. I'm happier than I thought I would ever be able to be. But I miss you. I miss Sunnydale"

Xander was ready to answer that but Willow resumed immediately:

"Do you know I don't have any photograph from her? There's nothing left of her Xander…"

Xander did not need to ask what Willow was talking about. It was only too obvious. Himself knew that feeling Willow was talking about. And the despair in the witch's voice constricted his heart in his chest.

"There's nothing left of her Xander." Repeated Willow. "No more grave I can go to, nothing of her things, all her clothes, her books, her magical supplies… everything has disappeared. Everything she ever possessed has been sucked in. and I didn't even have a photograph to look at…"

Xander squeezed Willow's shoulders more firmly and thought about this photograph of Anya and himself that had never left his jeans back pocket during the whole last battle against the First, saving it from the destruction of Sunnydale. Willow had not been that lucky. And Xander knew all too well how this insignificant photo was important to him.

"There're Giles' photographs, the ones that were in England, at his place. I think Tara's on them"

Willow nodded.

"Yeah, she's on one or two photos Giles took to Westbury. But… I meant our photos, you know? She and I, together…"

"Yeah, I know" Xander said, hugging Willow tightly against him. "I know…"

They both remained this way for long minutes, saying nothing, enjoying simply each other company and allowing themselves a moment to wander in the past.

"So, what about you?" Finally asked Willow.

Xander smiled warmly and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm lot better since I have my little Willow back"

Willow had a small laugh and put on a fake proud face.

"I know that!"

Then, she resumed, lower and more seriously:

"I meant, most of the time? You know, since… since Sunnydale's destruction?"

Xander sighed, thinking again about that day. For a second, he thought about telling everything was alright. But it was Willow he was holding against him. Willow who had gone through the same path before him. Willow the person he was closer than anyone in the world. Willow to who he could not nor would not hide the truth.

"Sometimes, it's hard" he said finally. "I miss her…"

He shut his mouth, seemed to search his words while Willow was hugging him this time, as she wanted to give him some courage.

"But you know" he added. "Maybe it's stupid, but… I'm proud of her… so proud about what she'd done. That she died to save Andrew… It makes it better to know she didn't die in vain, that she gave the best…"

Xander turned to Willow and didn't have time to see a shadow crossing her face as the redhead was now smiling.

"No, it's not stupid" she answered. "not stupid at all. Anything that can help you is stupid…"

Xander smiled again and resumed.

"And… that we want it or not, like takes back its right, time's healing slowly… I'm better Will, I promise"

"I'm happy to hear that"

Saying this, Willow turned to Xander and pulled him in a new hug he immediately gave back.

"I'm really happy to hear that" she repeated.

* * *

Buffy turned suddenly to her right and in a sure and precise gesture, sank her stake in another vampire's heart. He was only beginning to disappear in dust that the blonde Slayer was turning around to do the same to another one. A third vampire was coming to her but was abruptly pulled backward by two strong arms and thrown away. Then Buffy saw Kennedy coming from nowhere and giving her an apologist smirk for borrowing her opponent. Buffy nodded her approval and Kennedy began to take care of that one.

The blonde Slayer used that break to shake her jacket covered in dust and to study her state. She wasn't hurt in the slightest. Despite the lot of vampires they were fighting, she had been rarely touched, thanks to her own agility and the Slayers' actions synchronism.

But her look was not really appealing any more. Her hair was dirty and entangled, glued in her neck by sweat, and a lock was hanging miserably between her eyes. Buffy put it behind her ear before starting to clean her clothes. She was so covered in dust that even after several brushing from her part, jeans and jacket were still not in her origin color. And her shoes were just unrecognizable. Buffy cursed herself for not having change her clothes before going on patrol.

"What's the hell gotten into me?" she grumbled. "Faith, I HATE you! Why did I follow her? That new pair of shoes is now almost rui…"

"Buffy! Behind you!"

But Buffy had felt the vampire coming before Kennedy's warning hit her ears. She jumped on the side at lightning speed to avoid his charge, grabbed his arm at the same time before turning him to her and plunged her stake in his heart. It had last less than a second.

"…ruined I was saying!" resumed Buffy as she had not been interrupted in her clothing soliloquy.

"The remaining ones are trying to escape" said Kennedy gesturing with her a chin in an uncertain direction.

The brunette Slayer was now by Buffy's side, after having killed her last vampire and warned the blonde about the previous attack.

"What?" Buffy asked, still centered on her shoes and having not noticed that Kennedy was now so close.

"They're running away" Kennedy repeated.

She looked again the way she had pointed before and added:

"Looks like Faith is running after them"

Buffy raised her head and watched what Kennedy was talking about. As she had just said, the remaining vampires were running away as fast as they could by a small dark alley in front of them. And Faith was already chasing them, followed by several young Slayers.

"Faith, wait!" Buffy screamed. " You have no idea where they might go! "

Faith stopped, turned around to cast a glance behind her to Buffy, then just shrugged and resumed running before the blonde Slayer could add something.

"God, that girl's gonna drive me nuts!" grumbled Buffy.

"We should follow" Kennedy said. "Don't know what might happen."

"That's what I said" Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "They just came from everywhere sooner, there might be another groups not too far in the cemetery"

"Exactly" said Jenny's voice, who just popped up from their left.

She was also covered in dust and sweat, mixed with dried blood coming from her nose. The younger Slayer had obviously not spent her easiest evening.

"There're a lot of big nests in that cemetery. They're probably trying to join their HQ. If they reach it, we have no idea what we'll find there. And the battle's noise probably warned others vampires that we're here"

Buffy and Kennedy exchanged a glance to the Cleveland leader's words.

"We're going to help them" they said almost together.

"I wouldn't be too worried if it was just Faith but three of your girls followed her" added Buffy quickly. "Gather the others, we have to catch up with them"

Jenny nodded and started to do as she had been told, while Kennedy reloaded her crossbow as Buffy and herself took the path followed by Faith an instant before.

* * *

Buffy flopped down in a bush after violently hurting a tombstone one of her opponent had thrown her onto. The blonde Slayer laid there for a moment, cursing silently Faith for that new event, and herself for agreeing to come in the first place.

But it was nothing compared to the curse words she let escape when she noticed that one of her jacket's sleeve had been ripped by a branch during her fall. Centered as she was on the leather tatter hanging miserably from her sleeve, she did not see Kennedy shoot the last remaining vampire with her crossbow and coming to her to ask her about her state.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" Buffy began.

Then se raised her head to the younger girl and put her jacket under her nose before resuming in a exasperate tone:

"Actually no! How could I be okay after THAT?"

Saying this, she was shaking her sleeve in front of Kennedy, as this one could have not notice the sleeve's pitiful state.

"It's the first jacket I bought in Rome, with my first Italian salary! It was important to me, like a symbol of my new normal young woman's normal life going normally shopping with her sister!"

Buffy stopped and stared at Kennedy, waiting probably for a comprehensive or approval sign. But she got none. The other Slayer was looking at her, shared between amusement and consternation, and she obviously found nothing to answer to such clothing reflections. A covered in dust Faith's arrival put her out of her embarrassment. The dark-haired Slayer smirked and turned to Buffy.

"I think we're done this time!" She said happily. "So B, how was that big scary back to the basics?"

Buffy did not answer and turned to Jenny who had just joined up with them.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked.

Jenny nodded.

"I think Melinda ricked her ankle and Kathy broke her nose, but nothing too serious"

"Good. We're done for tonight. Let's come home"

Kennedy looked around her with her hand still firmly clasped on her crossbow, then cast a glance to her watch – a gift from Willow whose sight was enough to make her smile.

"I'd killed some more but hey, I guess we didn't come in Cleveland for that, right?" she said, turning to Buffy.

"Right" Buffy confirmed. "And I'd rather come back before ripping up all my clothes tonight."

Saying this, Buffy was staring at herself and wore a disapproval wince on her face, not sure that any of her clothes would survive such a treatment. She did not notice Jenny's quite amused gaze as she ordered her group to come home before following them on the path back to the hotel.

Kennedy did the same, her crossbow still in hand, ready for anything that might come their way. Buffy followed some steps behind after trying to shake the dust from her again, Faith on her heels.

The dark-haired Slayer looked at her counterpart with curiosity and even some apprehension seeing Buffy's scowl. After several minutes of silence, Faith finally talked.

"So, B, good evening? Well, except the thing with your jacket?"

Silence.

"That's so bad for your jacket?"

Silence again.

"I guess it is" Faith went on. "I guess you lost your habits. I never wear clothes I like on patrol…"

Faith kept quiet a second, looking like she was thinking about what she had just said. She went on, without noticing Buffy's angry glance.

"But probably I have less clothes I like than you have. You being all…"

"Faith, just shut up!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed.

At first, Faith was about to answer in the same tone but her mouth opened then closed without any sound going out from it. She breathed in deeply to try to calm down then asked in the most casual tone she could:

"What's the matter with you B? I'm not the one ripping up your clothes!"

Buffy raised her arms to the sky in a gesture of despair.

"Of course not! But YOU ran after those vampires without wondering e second if they could lead you into a trap. And after finding groups of dozens of vampires!"

Faith let escape a long sigh, clearly showing she was not happy at all with that conversation.

"And? I don't see the problem. They're vampires, we meet them, we kill them. Simple as that!"

"We don't know how things work in that town, Jenny said there were big nests in that cemetery, that we had to be careful. It could have been dangerous!"

"And now B's worried about me!" Faith said sarcastically, rolling her eyes but with a half-smile on her face. "So, see, everything's fine, I'm all okay!"

Buffy stopped walking and turned to Faith with a serious look plastered on her face.

"I'm not worried about you Faith. But there were those girls with you."

"They're Slayers!" answered an exasperated Faith. "Like you and me!"

"No!" Buffy shouted. « Not like you and me. We are the Chosen ones, the first ones of that generation, the 'natural' Slayers. Those girls look at us like models, we have a responsibility towards them"

"YOU are a model, not me" retorted Faith.

"They followed you without hesitating when they hardly know you and without telling Jenny who's their leader. They trusted you because it was YOU"

"So, everything's fine, no one died, end of story"

"You're lucky" said Buffy firmly. "If you want to take that kind of chance, do what you want. But don't drag those girls with you. Chance is not always enough"

"I follow my instinct and that'd always been enough to survive"

"You're still alive cause you spent a good part of your calling not fighting the good fight or locked away"

Faith looked hurt by Buffy's comment but the expression faded from her face as soon as it came, and Buffy had hardly enough time to see it.

"So, what advice a Slayer dead twice could give me to stay alive ?"

Buffy did not pay attention to Faith ironic tone and went on:

"You should be more patient and careful sometimes, you should think about what to do before doing it. That'll help you to survive"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you were the best, always knowing better than anyone what to do and when!"

"I WAS the best" emphasized Buffy. "I was 'cause I have to. 'Cause I was alone. You'd never been alone to do that job. I was."

Faith could not help but sniggered. Then her face closed and she laid her eyes on the blonde Slayer with solemnity.

"You weren't alone B. It's about time you stop with that. You weren't alone, you never were"

Buffy rolled her eyes, losing her patience.

"Did you lost your memory by dint of all those blows on your face?"

"And you?" added the brunette. "Except if Willow and Xander don't count? They CHOSE to fight when you just always did what you had to do. And the second you had a choice, you just walked away!"

"Oh, of course!" Shouted a now ramping Buffy. "You have to find something to blame me about! I just wanted to live a normal life!"

Faith rolled her eyes and opened her arms in a dramatic gesture.

"Yeah. And I wanted to have a mother who loves me and to celebrate Christmas. I wanted to have a brother to play with. And y'know what ? I bet Will and Xander just wanted to live the rest of their lives with the girl they loved. But you've been the only one to be fulfilled here, B."

"Don't talk about my friends" Buffy said in a tone now hard as steel. "You know nothing about them"

"'Cause you know better than me?"

Buffy swallowed hard, clenched her teeth and put her cold gaze in Faith's. The dark-haired Slayer kept quite and waited the verbal – or physical- outburst when she saw Buffy's hard expression. But nothing came.

* * *

The hotel was silent and plunged in darkness when the small group came back. The Slayers parted, some of them going to put the weapons back to their place, most of them just coming back to their rooms to grab a shower and to go to sleep.

Jenny had took her wounded to the sickbay, Faith had disappeared without a word and Kennedy had left for her room after a 'night' to Buffy and a half-smile.

The blonde Slayer remained then alone in the lobby and listened to the voices fading away until she couldn't hear anything more.

Despite the late hour, Buffy didn't feel like going to sleep right now and she decided for a nightly walk in the hotel's gardens.

The air was cool and Buffy wrapped her arms around herself to find some warmth while walking along a little rocky path that lead to the swimming pool. She was surprise to see a thin silhouette sat on the swimming-pool edge. A step later she recognized Willow. Buffy speeded up and reached the witch quickly.

"Hey" she said, sitting cross-legged beside her friend.

"Hey" Willow answered, smiling to Buffy. "Patrol's over?"

"Yeah, we just got back. Kennedy left to grab a shower I think"

Willow nodded. Silence fell back between them, each of them looking like they were lost in their world and searching for something to say.

"So, how was patrol?" finally asked Willow.

"Well, you know, nothing big. Killed some vampires, lost my new pair of shoes which is

full of dust et won't probably be clear again, and Faith just made her Faith enough to upset me. Nowhere I ever been before."

Willow smiled again to Buffy's enumeration, nodded her head and displayed the most sorry look on her face she could when Buffy showed her jacket sleeve.

"So you?" Buffy asked. « What're you doing outside that late? »

Willow shrugged, the gesture probably meaning something like "nothing special" before adding:

"I just needed some fresh air… To think, that kind of things…"

Buffy's expression immediately became one of worry.

"Something happened? You fought? With Dawn? Or Xander?"

« No, no » protested Willow vehemently. "We talked with Xander here, sooner. He just came back in"

Buffy nodded and settled herself more comfortably next to the redhead.

"So, a lot of things in your head lately?"

Willow smiled thoughtfully.

"Yeah… Well, most of the time I have plenty of things in my head. But, you know with the Slayers training, the south America demons hunt and Kennedy, lately it was all about work. Not really had time to think about something else lately… And suddenly, everything's calm and all the people I love are there after months apart… It's… Well… kind of weird…"

"Yeah, I know. We didn't see much of each other lately… It's a big damn change…"

Buffy kept quiet and stared at Willow's melancholic and thoughtful face before resuming:

"But, it's quite nice to meet again?"

Willow raised her head and looked at Buffy. She could read hesitance and question in the Slayer's gaze.

"Yeah, of course." She hurried to say. "Of course it's nice, it's super nice. I was waiting for this with much impatience, you can ask Kennedy. I even just talk about that for weeks. Well, I can even say I totally bothered her with that for weeks. And I'm really happy to be there. Really"

Buffy smiled to Willow's trademark quick delivery of words and to her shy smile.

"I know Will. I know you're happy to see us. But you seems so…"

Buffy stopped again, searching the right word for what she meant.

"Melancholic?" she finally offered.

Willow opened her mouth but said nothing at first. She gestured with her hand.

"Yeah, yeah, a little"

She stopped in her turn, seemed to hesitate.

"It's…Actually, I was thinking about Tara"

Buffy frowned, obviously never seeing that coming.

"Ah. And, what?"

"You know, I think…really often about her. But, being here, all together, without being home, it reminded me that we have no home any more, that Sunnydale has just disappeared, taking away everything that was left from her. It's not that I forgot before or anything…'cause I really often think about that but… there're moments like that. It's more vivid than it usually is"

Willow kept quite and Buffy laid a tender and worried gaze on her.

"Sometimes, it feels like I'm moving on, like I'm getting better. And other times, I think I'll never really get over it… Like… You know, I'm not even 25 and the road ahead of me seems so long, so endless. Like the best was already behind me…"

There was a new silence and Willow wiped stealthily a tear about to roll on her cheek.

"And… I don't know why I'm talking about that. We meet again after months apart and the first I do: I'm crying like a doofus. »

"No, no!" Buffy exclaimed. "It's ok, Will, I'm happy you talk to me you know"

Buffy hugged Willow tightly against her, just like Xander had done sooner. And sharing that cozy moment with her friends made Willow feel a lot better. Buffy felt the witch relax and let go on her shoulder and she pulled her friend closer.

"I'm a lot better after that" Willow said, smiling to the blonde Slayer.

"After what?" Asked Buffy, trying to sound cheerful.

"Crying on her shoulder" Willow explained with a trademark grin.

Buffy smiled and a new silence settled between the two friends. Willow looked like she had got back to her time travel while Buffy was gathering her thoughts, the witch's words, and she came to the realization they never had that conversation before.

"What about Kennedy? I thought… I mean, you two, it seemed to be all right"

Willow raised her head to her girlfriend's name.

"Oh, she's perfect! I mean, nearly perfect, as perfect as someone can be, a normal someone I mean, except she's not really normal 'cause you know: Slayer and all. But perfect as a girlfriend actually. And I love her. I really love her. Truly. And..."

Willow shut her mouth, letting her sentence unfinished. Buffy looked at her with affection, at the time amused to have back 'her' babbling Willow and touched by her obvious vulnerability. She waited for the redhead to go on. Seeing nothing coming, the blonde Slayer gently asked:

"And?"

"And, that's why I know I can't move on"

Willow stopped again but resuming quickly:

"I can't move on, I won't ever move on completely. 'Cause, I mean… Everything's so perfect between us… And though, there's something missing. There's always Tara. Do you get it?"

Willow turned to Buffy after avoiding her gaze during her explanation. Her eyes were clear and frank and Willow's expression was one of too soon scoffed, too soon torn off innocence.

"I get it" finally got out Buffy with difficulty, as her throat was constricted with emotion. "I get it"


	5. Act 4

The sun was already high in the sky when Alexander Harris finally decided to go to the hotel's restaurant. He had slept a lot more than he was used to, but the previous day had been tiring between his long bus trip and all too long council meeting. Of course, he had already attended council meetings, and each of them had been boring in its own right. But that one had been the worst for Xander: he was way too impatient to have time with Willow and Buffy to be interested in the whole lecturing thing.

Xander smiled. The council gathering would last some days and after that, they could all take advantage of the vacation weeks they had decided to spend together here. Maybe even Giles would have some free time to be with them. And Dawn's enthusiasm had been infectious: Xander felt better than he had felt during the last months.

The carpenter crossed the lobby quickly, whistling happily and finally got to the restaurant. A good breakfast seemed to be in order and his stomach kept reminding him he had got up way later than usual. But obviously, he wasn't the only one: the restaurant room was nearly deserted and the clean tables tended to show that a few people had already show up. Xander was not really surprised: Slayers usually got up late, given their nightly activities.

The young man though looked around the room, looking for a known face. Maybe Giles or Willow would be already up and still there. Xander found any of them. But he spotted Buffy, sat alone at a table near the window on the garden's side.

Xander headed toward her and noticed how concentrated she seemed to be on her coffee cup.

"Hey" he said simply. "Is that seat taken?"

Buffy jumped slightly and raised her head. Her face lighted up with a big smile when she saw Xander. She patted the bench beside her.

"Taken by you now"

Xander smiled back.

"Good. So I'm gonna grab some coffee and a mountain of pancakes and I'm back. Do you want something? »

Buffy seemed to hesitate, turned to her plate and then to Xander again.

"Well, just make sure the mountain of pancakes is high enough for both of us"

"I see ! I won't be long"

He was right. Just some minutes later, Xander was back with a tray on which Buffy could see a cup of coffee and the promise mountain of pancakes. The carpenter sat next to Buffy and started to overcome his breakfast while having a look at Buffy. The Slayer was doing the same as him and was taking her part to get down the pancakes, but she was silent, obviously lost in her thoughts.

"Good night?" finally asked Xander.

Buffy nodded firmly.

"Excellent. Nothing good as killing vampires before going to sleep to have a good night. Plus the plane trip and Giles' boring lecture we were forced to listen yesterday and I was tired enough to fall asleep as soon as my head touched my pillow"

Xander nodded his understanding.

"So how was patrol? Like back to the basics?"

Buffy looked like she was thinking about it.

"Well, I won't lie, killing vampires is kinda exiting. But it's way more interesting since I've got choice to go slaying or not. And, it'll remain rare in my schedule"

Xander nodded and put his cup to his lips to swallow some of his coffee.

"No problem then?" he asked next.

Buffy vaguely gestured and rolled her eyes.

"Nothing special. We found some vampires nests and Faith had to do her way. See ? No real problem"

Xander frowned.

"What do you mean, Faith had to do her way?" he insisted.

Buffy just shrugged.

"You know, she's Faith"

The blonde Slayer added nothing more, as mentioning Faith's name was enough to explain her point. She got back to her pancakes; and after minutes of silence, she turned again to Xander, having a look at him, opening her mouth several times to say something but finally closing it without actually saying anything. Xander eventually noticed her doing so and turned resolutely to her with a frank smile:

"What's going on? Looks like you're worried?"

Buffy opened then closed her mouth again. She drank a new mouthful of coffee, buttered a new pancake while Xander was looking at her expectantly. Finally, she said:

"Well, I was wondering…"

She stopped again but Xander cheered her with a smile.

"Well, I was wondering how you were doing?" Buffy whispered.

She immediately regretted her question when she saw the carpenter's smile disappear and his gaze looking away. She was about to give up and apologize when he turned again to her.

"Well, I wouldn't say everything's perfect, but I'm better. Really better"

He smiled again and his smile was more melancholic than previously but it was a big smile and Buffy felt reassured.

"Thanks for asking" Xander added.

And after a silence, the carpenter asked :

"What about you?"

Buffy smiled brightly.

"Well, I think I feel better than I've felt for a long time"

Buffy looked down and began to give nervous lights taps on the edge of the table. Xander noticed the gesture but said nothing, waiting for the Slayer to go on. Which she did.

"And sometimes, I feel bad about it"

Xander's expression became one of surprise.

"Bad?" he repeated without understanding what she meant.

"Yeah" Buffy nodded seriously. "About you and Will"

Xander frowned and shook his head vigorously.

"You shouldn't feel that way. You've got more than your own part of shit. You deserve to be happy. And no one is more happy to see you getting the life you wanted than Will and I"

Buffy smiled warmly to him and couldn't help but take him in her arms. Xander was more than happy to return the hug.

"I'm good" he said.

They remained that way a moment, just enjoying the closeness.

"Well, it's gonna be a hug feast." Buffy said in a happy tone. "After my Willow moment yesterday evening, here's my Xander moment"

Xander nodded.

"So, we're good. I've got my Willow moment yesterday evening too"

Buffy let go of Xander and they resumed their original place on the bench.

"I talked with her near the swimming pool, she said you too had a moment before"

Buffy kept quiet and sipped some of her coffee. Her face darkened again thinking about her conversation with Willow.

"I have to say I'm kinda worried. She didn't look too well"

Xander nodded while buttering thoughtfully one if his pancakes.

"Yeah, she's not feeling that good…You know, all of us, all those memories…" he confirmed.

"I have a feeling it's more…" began Buffy.

But the blonde Slayer stopped short when she saw Kennedy coming their way, a questioning look on her face.

"Hey you two. Is something wrong?"

"No." Buffy answered. "Why?"

"Yeah, you looked like you had an intense talk"

"Kennedy" Xander said, turning to the newcomer. "Good night?"

Kennedy smiled and nooded with enthusiasm.

"Really good. Well, I was kinda tired, yesterday being a long day and all. Will's too was tired. She fell asleep immediately"

"Where's she?" Buffy asked, frowning with a suspicious look on her face.

"No panic!" Kennedy answered, raising her hands in front of her as to surrender. "She's gone to meet Giles in the conference room to talk about some stuff before starting the meeting"

"The meeting?" Xander asked. "What meeting? A new meeting?"

"Yeah. Yesterday's one was just a quick overview of…"

"Quick ? you call that quick?" Xander couldn't help but exclaim.

Kennedy offered him an amused smile and pouted.

"Well, I meant quick in a Giles world" she corrected. "Today, Giles must talk with more details about results and future for Europe"

"Should be interesting for you" She added for the blonde Slayer. "It's where you live now"

Buffy winced.

"You tell me. So, when does that meeting begin?"

"Ten minutes from now?" Kennedy offered with a grin.

* * *

Giles gave them a smile when he saw them coming in but could not come to great them as he was busy talking with a group of watchers. Buffy took the room in at one glance and noticed her sister laughing in a corner of the room with a Slayer Buffy had seen the evening before.

Beside her, Willow listened carefully to the tale of a young Watcher who was looking at her with obvious pride at talking to the infamous Willow Rosenberg.

Then, Buffy frowned when she saw Faith propped in a chair with a sullen look on her face. The dark-haired Slayer noticed her counterpart's entrance but did not do any gesture towards her. Neither did Buffy who headed towards her sister and Willow. Noticing her approach, both young women broke their conversation and came to her. Dawn kissed her sister on the cheek as she had seen in the morning yet.

"Ah, Buffy, you're here. You weren't in the room when I got up. So, you're were early this morning?"

Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, I went for a walk before breakfast"

Dawn looked at her with a dubious look.

"You went on patrol yesterday. You woke up early this morning." She enunciated. "To go for a walk? What the hell did you do to my sister?"

Buffy smiled and hugged her sister.

"I promise I'm just me. I just wanted to walk, to enjoy the good fresh early air"

The explanation obviously did not convince Dawn whose look went from dubious to suspicious.

"You hate waking up early in vacation." She assured.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"So, let's just tell I made an exception this morning"

Dawn finally seemed to accept that last answer, or at least to recognize her sister to the exasperated look she was wearing now and was pretty much her trademark look when it came to Dawn.

Buffy then turned to Willow who watched the exchange with an amused look. Buffy could not miss the witch's tired features. Willow seemed abnormally exhausted. Her night probably had not been really resting.

Buffy knew that one or two years before, Willow had so terrific nightmares that she could not get any sleep at all. Nightmares bathed in blood, tears, hatred and rage. Nightmares where a blonde woman's smile transformed in a wince of pain before she collapsed in bloodbath. Nightmares where a so common student transformed into a monster before dying in agonizing pain, killed by a witch consumed with hatred and grief.

Nightmares where Tara died, again and again, in front of a powerless Willow.

Buffy knew from what Dawn had told her that even this phenomenon had faded, it still happened from time to time without warning. Buffy supposed that night had been one of THOSE nights. Though, the blonde Slayer decided to say nothing about it. She would have plenty of time later to ask Willow about her nightmares, without Dawn or Kennedy to hear. After all, talking with someone's nightmares about her dead girlfriend is not the best thing to do with the new girlfriend around. Especially when you have no idea how said-girlfriend took the situation. Happy with her considered decision, Buffy settled for a simple:

"Good night Will?"

Willow gestured nonchalantly and answered with a half-smile:

"Not too bad, but I think I'm lacking sleep"

"Looks like" confirmed Buffy.

"You look like shit" endorsed Dawn with her trademark delicacy.

Kennedy came then from behind the witch and put her arms around her waist with a tender gesture, before whispering in her ear in a suggestive tone:

"If you're tired, maybe we can go and rest a little after the meeting?"

"I heard!" exclaimed Buffy. Then pointing to her ear :

"Slayer hearing!"

"And I guessed!" Added Dawn pointing to her head.

"I've got a brain!"

"And I'm not sure she needs that kind of rest" she added quickly.

Kennedy pouted to Dawn's comment. But Willow's smile was enough to cheer her up.

"I'm not sure. I want to spend as much time as I can with my friends."

The Slayer did not hide her disappointment but nodded her understanding before taking Willow's hand and guiding her to a chair. Buffy and Dawn followed and took a seat in their turn as was about to begin what promised to be one of the most boring meeting in Buffy's life.

* * *

When Buffy stretched herself on her chair one hour later, she would have been totally unable to sum the meeting up. She remembered vaguely Giles talking about Rome's center going to be expanded – it was the word Rome which had pulled her out of her reverie at the time – then about Robin probably becoming head leader of London's center.

Everything else had just disappeared from her brain at the second it had been said.

Buffy looked at Faith who was talking with Robin and realized that her counterpart was exactly like her and seemed really embarrassed to not understand a single word of what robin was talking about. Buffy got up and headed toward them, maybe to get Faith away from this situation, or to sink her in it just a little more. She had not yet decided.

"Faith, Robin" She said, giving them a smile. "Good night?"

Robin, who had missed her getting closer, turned to her with a big smile while Faith barely hid an annoyed look. But she pulled herself together quickly, seeing there a good opportunity to get away from a conversation she would obviously have difficulty to follow.

"Good" she answered then quickly. "You?"

"Good too" Buffy answered in a casual tone. "killing vampires before going to bed is obviously the guarantee for a good night of sleep afterwards"

Faith nodded but Robin talked :

"How was patrol? Not too hard after all these months of vacations?"

The tone was obviously warm and amused.

"Hum, I'm in vacation NOW" Buffy said. "And I just wanted to see how everything was. I'm retired now"

"So, how's everything according to you?" asked seriously Robin, curious to have her advice.

"Hum…" Buffy began. « I saw a lot of vampires, a lot of Slayers, and a quite good organization. But some things don't change anyway"

Saying that, Buffy stared at Faith who was keeping silent and cast her a furious glance to the last comment. And that glance darkened even more when Buffy added with a smile playing on her lips:

"Right Faith?"

She didn't answer and felt Wood's attention turning to her and adding to Buffy's insistent gaze.

"What happened?" he finally asked after an uncomfortable silence.

Faith opened her mouth to answer something but Buffy was quicker and answered in a sarcastic tone :

"Oh, nothing much. After meeting numerous vampires groups, Faith'd just gone after he runaways, not worrying a second that they might lead her into a trap and not worrying about three young Slayers following her 'cause she's THE slayer."

Buffy stressed the 'THE' and did not pay attention to the dark glance the former rogue Slayer cast her.

"I still don't see where's the problem." She grumbled. "They're vampires, we patrol to kill them"

Wood crossed his arms over his chest and his gaze traveled from Buffy to Faith before his face showed a mask of contrariety.

"Is that true Faith?"

"Yeah!" Faith exploded. « we found a group, we attacked them, I ran after those who tried to get away and I still don't see where's the fucking problem!"

Wood's face grew more serious to the Slayer's explosion. However, he did not lost his calm to answer:

"You know how things are here. Vampires tend to act in groups. A lot more than in Sunnydale. It wouldn't be the first time they try to lead a patrol to an important nest. Jaina had been seriously hurt last month in that kind of trap."

"God, do you thing we were wondering that much before there were all those Slayers?" asked Faith, her arms opened in an interrogative gesture.

"Maybe not" Robin admitted. "But maybe that's why they used to die so young"

"She died young 'cause they were alone!" retorted an annoyed Faith.

"And now, you're not alone anymore. But having a lot of girls doesn't mean we can risk their lives without thinking!"

"I didn't risk their lives!" Spat Faith, exasperated. "They're Slayers like me damn it!"

"Buffy's right" resumed Robin, talking louder. "She and you will always be different for the other girls. You have the duty not to put them at risk. Willingly or by recklessness" he added even more firmly.

Faith crossed her arms, leant on the table behind her and offered a dark glance and a closed face to her two accusers. Seeing she was keeping silent, Wood added:

"Cleveland Slayers already found really big nests here. Nothing to do with Sunnydale. And there're probably more. Jenny knows that. You should have listened to her and not take such risks."

"And Jenny warned us" Buffy precised. "She told us to stay together in that cemetery"

Faith answered nothing. Her gaze traveled from Robin to Buffy, the two of them obviously waiting for her reaction. But the only thing she had to offer was her stubborn look. After a moment of silent wait, Faith stood and took a step to go away.

"So, lecture's over?" she asked in a cold and bored tone.

Robin and Buffy exchanged a glance.

"Faith…" Buffy began.

But Faith had not waited for an answer and was heading to the door. To the sound of Buffy's voice, she gestured to her without looking back, meaning she wasn't listening anymore and the conversation was now over. Buffy sighed loudly and turned to Robin who was staring at Faith's departure with a dubious look on his face.

* * *

"Hey, Buff, trouble?"

Xander's voice pulled the blonde Slayer out of her thoughts. She turned to her friend, forced a smile and gestured vaguely with her hand.

"Nothing much" she said with a bitter sigh. "Just Faith…"

Xander was about to ask more but was interrupted by Dawn, Willow and Kennedy's arrival.

"So, what are we doing now?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked at her best friend and could not help a frank frown in front of Willow's obvious tiredness.

Obviously, the council meeting hadn't done anything good to the redhead.

"I was thinking about going for a walk" Buffy answered. "But I really think you should get some rest Will, you look exhausted"

Kennedy nodded and quickly came to her help:

"She's right Will. You should take some rest and we all meet after"

Saying this, Kennedy had wrapped her arms around the witch and looked at her with hope. In front of Willow's dubious look, Xander came to the girls' help too.

"I think they're right Will" added the carpenter. "You take some rest and we meet in an hour or two"

Willow turned to Kennedy, still wrapped around her, then to Buffy, then to Xander before coming again to Kennedy.

"You're all against me?" she said with a fake sullen look.

Xander smiled and kissed her on her forehead.

"Happy to see you surrender to everyone's decision"

Willow putted but dropped the matter anyway.

"Good. I let you have your walk. See you in an hour then »

She had just finished her sentence that Kennedy was already pulling her with her and threw a quick "later" to Buffy and Xander. They looked them getting away and Dawn could not help to grumble some words Buffy preferred not to try to understand. Then the young Summers turned to her sister with bright eyes:

"So, that walk?"

Buffy crossed her arms and looked at her sister with an amused look.

"I' m sorry but no walk for you Dawn" Buffy said firmly.

"What?"

"You have homework to do"

"What? Buffy, we're in vacations."

"But you have to work this summer to be on top next year" Buffy asserted. "And you shouldn't wait for tomorrow to begin with that. So, you're gonna work while Will has her rest and we come to get you two later"

And Buffy punctuated her sentence by pulling her sister into a hug and tapping her gently on her back. Dawn knew to the gesture that arguing was not an option and sighed loudly to voice her disagreement. But she did not protest more and took her way back to her room. Buffy and Xander remained then alone.

"So, Buff, going for a walk? Asked Xander.

"Going for a walk" Buffy confirmed.

* * *

The two friends got to a park near the hotel in no time. The place was charming: high trees bordered narrow paths snaking between well-kept flourishing lawns. Sometimes, the path transformed into a small wooden bridge to treadle over a clear river. It was weird to think that little corner of country was in the center of a so big town.

They talked about anything precise, going from point to another without them noticing, just the way their walk was.

But they both knew where they were heading, no matter the path to go there. So, Xander was not surprised when Buffy suddenly came to a stop and turned to him to say "I'm worried about Will" although they were not talking at all about the redhead at the time. Xander stopped too and looked at Buffy with a frown. The blonde Slayer wore on her face that trademark serious and deep look that could one of "Buffy-the-Slayer" or "Buffy-the-best-friend".

She crossed her arms and stared at Xander, repeating as he had not heard or understood what she had just said:

"I'm worried about Will"

Xander nodded his head and both friends resumed their random walk in the park.

"I got that part" confirmed the young man. "You're here, you're talking to me et though, you look like you're somewhere else" he explained

Buffy smiled willingly. That was something really good with Xander : you never had to explain that kind of things : he just understood. And even more when it came to Willow.

"So, what's bothering you exactly?" Xander asked.

"We talked yesterday evening when I got back after patrol" Buffy explained. "She was…"

"Melancholic?" Xander offered. « Yeah » he confirmed.

"She was thinking about Tara" Buffy went on.

Xander nodded.

"About the photos, the things that disappeared… About her grave buried under Sunnydale's ruins"

"We talked about that too"

Xander stopped and considered Buffy. "It's not really new Buff. What's the matter with that now?"

Buffy sighed.

« Xander, Tara died more than years ago now. Sunnydale disappeared one year ago. I know it's not that old but… Will said she thought she would never totally move on. NEVER. She said never."

Xander answered nothing, thinking about Buffy's words. He hesitated about what to say, thought again about his own conversation with Willow, about all the conversations he had with her in the last months. Finally he came to a stop again and asked gently :

"Did you really ever think she would move on?"

Buffy stared at Xander as she saw him for the first time and a stupefied expression plastered on her face.

"You mean you never thought she would get over Tara's death?"

Buffy's tone was clearly disbelieving. How Xander, usually so optimistic, always the one to believe in the future, could be the one not believing to a new chance at happiness for Willow? Buffy could not believe what she just heard.

"You were there, right? You saw what Tara's death caused, just like me. How come back from a so deep despair?"

Buffy's gaze planted in Xander's. Her friend's words slowly came to her mind.

"Yeah, I thought she would" she answered. "I thought she was getting better, that her new like in Brazil with Kennedy makes her happy again…"

"She's getting better Buff" Xander confirmed. "But happy? This is something else…"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two friends and they resumed their walk. Both were lost in their own thoughts and a deep frown was crossing Buffy's forehead. Finally she insisted :

"You think really that never… that she will never be happy again?"

Xander offered her a sad and compassionate smile.

"Frankly, I don't know. I'd like to say yes, to say she just needs some more time. But the thing is, I don't know. What I know is that something broke inside her when Tara was murdered. And I don't see what could fix that something"

Xander stopped to let Buffy some time to get what he was saying, then resumed even more seriously than before:

"It can soften, cured, made bearable. But not fixed"

The young man kept quiet again and stared at Buffy's absent look. The blonde Slayer was staring back at him but her gaze was vague and she looked like thoughts were running at gallop in her mind, running after ideas buried until then.

Xander did not see her fists squeezing but he couldn't not notice her hard and resolved face when she finally said simply:

"There's always something to do"

* * *

Giles' office was located in the last floor in the Council's hotel. It was the kind of room he liked. It was spacious enough to let guests know how important was the inhabitant of the room, but not too much for the office to be welcoming and personal. To the right of the door were several wooden shelves which carried what Giles possibly loved the most in the world : books and books and books. Gathering them had been a really hard work after the destruction of the council by the First. Rebuilding a great library had been one of Giles important new task. Now it was done, Giles couldn't help himself and looked proudly at his books with much pride. And sometimes, he just took one of them, sat in his minister chair and read at the light of the wide window behind him.

Now could be one of this moment. Except that night was falling and the sun was disappearing behind the horizon. Giles was reading council reports in the light of his desk lamp.

A light knock at the door made him jump and raise his head. The door was opened and Buffy was standing at the doorstep. She wore a long summer bright-colored dress and her hair was put in a beautiful pun. Giles could not help but feel a fatherly pride when he saw the girl he still considered a daughter. He smiled warmly and gestured for her to come in. She did as she was instructed and came closer to the desk.

"Still working Giles?" She said gently. "You should have a break"

"It seems that it's exactly what I'm about to do"

Buffy smiled back and sat in one of the two armchairs facing Giles.

"I'm happy you were free tonight to have dinner with us. It was nice, wasn't it?"

"Right" Giles answered in a sarcastic tone. "I especially enjoyed the part where Kennedy told us with much details about her last Brazilian demon evisceration"

Buffy shrugged in a knowing way.

"You know, she's Kennedy" she said simply. "But except that little thing about south-American demons anatomy, it was nice, right?" she asked again. "Well, I found it nice"

Giles nodded and stared at Buffy cautiously before answering:

"Really nice" He said. "But… you were a little thoughtful"

"To tell the truth, I was"

Giles look became immediately worried.

"Is something bothering you?"

Buffy took a pencil on Giles desk and made it turn absent-mindedly between her fingers without answering immediately.

"It's about Willow" She said finally, after making her pencil doing acrobatics under Giles patient stare.

"Willow" the former Watcher repeated. "What's wrong with Willow?"

The pencil began to turn again between the Slayer's fingers.

"We talked yesterday night, after dinner. She's not getting that better"

Giles frowned and put his glasses back into place.

"A problem with magic? Or with Kennedy?" he offered.

Buffy shook her head firmly.

"A Tara problem"

Giles' frown got stressed and the former Watcher took off his glasses and began to clean them with a piece of clothe he took from his desk.

"What do you mean?"

"She's still not over Tara's death"

"It's not really surprising, Buffy" said Giles after a silence. "Mourning is complex and changing from a person to another and most of the times takes many steps."

"I know Giles" Buffy answered, almost impatiently. "I know what's mourning"

"I know, I know" Giles answered in an apologizing tone. "I didn't mean that…"

"Giles, it looks like really serious" Buffy interrupted him. "She thinks she won't ever be over it"

There was a new silence and Buffy made the pencil turn between her fingers again while Giles was cleaning his glasses again.

"It might be possible" he eventually said.

Buffy looked at him with puzzled eyes, as he had just said he had never believed Santa Claus existed.

"How's that: it might be possible? What do you mean by it might be possible? Is everyone okay with Willow not getting any better? Ever?"

"Buffy…"

Giles's tone was intended to be soothing but Buffy got up from her chair and stood in front of Giles, showing no sign she was about to calm down.

"What are you about to say Giles? That you too think she'll never move on?"

"Buffy…" Giles repeated in the same tone.

But Buffy did not want to listen and started to pace the room.

"Okay Giles, none of us really took care of that before. Magic problems, the First, then the Slayers awakening spell, Sunnydale's destruction, the new council to build…"

She stopped to talk a second, just to breath in.

"But now? Now that you're here writing never-ending reports, ruling the council, now that Willow and Xander work for that good council, now that I have a normal work in a normal town, maybe it's time to think about it"

Giles crossed his arms and looked at his former Slayer who had finally resumed her position in the armchair and was staring at him expectantly. He cleared his throat and began quietly:

"Well, I don't really see what we can do about that… We can be here for here as much as we can…" he added quickly seeing Buffy opening her mouth to interrupt.

"She's the only one who wan heal that wound. And her relationship with Kennedy – disregarding her skills to spoil the pleasure to eat – seems to be perfectly sane and stable and able to help Willow to move on…"

Buffy let her former Watcher end his sentence but when he saw the weary look on her face, Giles understood it was far from what she was waiting for.

"Giles, I know that. And Willow knows that too. I think she's really lucid about this relationship, about what's good or not about it. But she says she won't ever get over Tara's death. And something inside of me screams she's right. I can feel it Giles…"

The Watcher sighed deeply and cleaned again his classes before addressing the Slayer :

"Are you scared that Willow… ends up doing something stupid?" he finally asked.

Buffy stared at him a second, trying to understand what he meant then shook her head firmly.

"No, no Giles. It's not what I mean. But… thinking that Willow will ever live with that weight on her shoulders. She's so young…"

There was a new silence, Giles waiting for Buffy to go on, the latter turning the words in her head before making up her mind.

"I messed up Giles. I let them get involved in this mess. It wasn't their fight. I saved the world from more apocalypses than I can remember but I just wasn't able to protect what she cherishes the most in the world"

Giles opened his mouth to speak but Buffy raised her hand to make him keep quiet and to let her finish and then went on :

"And do you know what I get in return?"

Buffy stopped talking but the look on her face clearly showed she wasn't expecting an answer from Giles and that she would be the one to answer her own question:

"Never a word of reproach. Instead, she freed me Giles. She awoke the Slayers and she gave me what I wanted the most, what I always desired. So, just tell me now, what kind of friend that makes me Giles?

Giles stared Buffy's desperate look for a long time when she stopped talking and the serious look on his face pointed how much the blonde Slayer's torment had reached him.

"Buffy…" he said gently, as a father trying to consol his child. "You can't save everyone, even the Slayer is not supposed to save everyone. Not even you"

Buffy shook slightly her head.

"No Giles, I can't save everyone. But… just my friends, is that too much to ask ?"

"I understand how you feel, but…"

"Giles" Buffy interrupted firmly. "I couldn't save Tara but I wanna save Willow from a miserable life"

Giles stared again at Buffy and felt suddenly ill-at-ease in front of the blonde Slayer resolute look. He looked for something to say but Buffy went on before he had decided what to say next.

"Giles, I know what I'm going to say might seem crazy but I want you to know I really thought about all this and I weighted up the meaning of what I want. And even if it seems to be a blind impulse, I swear it's not. You know me, Giles ?"

Giles nodded gravely and felt his uneasiness growing in front of the serious and determination coming from Buffy.

"I think so. I know you're not an inconsiderate person. What is it?"

The pencil turned again between Buffy's fingers and she focused her attention on it, searching her words, weighting her decision again, tidying her breath, calming her pounding heart. When she looked up to her Watcher, the pencil broke in her fingers.

"I want to bring Tara back"

The time seemed to stop. Giles and Buffy stared at each other for a long time, the Watcher looking like he was trying to understand what Buffy had just said, searching in her gaze to confirm she had meant what he had heard.

And Buffy looked at him from the bottom of her armchair, sure and resolute, simply waiting for a reaction, any reaction. But even after several minutes of intense thinking, the reaction she got was minimalist:

"What?"

"I want to bring Tara back" Buffy repeated simply.

Giles gestured to tell her he had correctly heard :

"I heard that, Buffy. Buffy, what do you exactly by 'bringing Tara back'?"

"You got me Giles, I want to bring Tara back to life"

Disbelief appeared on the former Watcher's face. A new silence fell between them before Giles resumed:

"Buffy, I guess you're not talking seriously?"

"Do you really think I'd be joking about something like that?"

"Of course not" Giles admitted. "But, Buffy…Are you talking about resurrection?"

Saying this, Giles readjusted his glasses and put his clear and resolute gaze in the Slayer's one. Buffy's answer was direct and simple:

"Yes"

Giles looked at Buffy without talking, then anger slowly replaced disbelief.

"Buffy! How can you just think about it?"

"Giles, I know it seems crazy but I'm really serious. I don't see any other solution and believe me, I really thought about the matter and…"

"Buffy, it's impossible! Resurrections can't be performed just like that!"

He had shouted this time. But Buffy didn't lose her temper despite her former Watcher's fluster.

"That's the reason I'm asking for your help. I don't know anything about magic. You do"

"Willow already tried and it didn't worked"

"Giles, it was just after. And just like me, you know there're many ways. You told yourself to Willow that others were able to do what she did by bringing me back"

"And I also told her she wouldn't like to meet them"

Giles stood up while saying this and he looked at Buffy sternly. More sternly she could remember him looking at her.

"Giles, I…"

"Buffy" Giles interrupted in a calmer but cold tone. "Even if it was possible, how can you want something like this? Who better than you can know how hard it is to be resurrected? If only one person should be against that, it should be you Buffy. Because you know."

"It's exactly where you're wrong Giles. I'm the only one who can take that decision. Because I know. I know it's hard but I also know that you can deal with that. I dealt with, Giles and I'm

happy now. Happy to have been given a second chance at life and got to see my sister growing up. And I'm not afraid anymore of what will come after. Because I know. I dealt with, Tara will be able to, I know that."

Giles let himself fall back in his armchair while Buffy had stood up in her turn and looked at him more resolute than ever.

"You were the first to tell that magic can't solve everything. You don't know what you're talking about"

"Giles, I exactly know what I'm talking about. Like you said yourself, I know better than anyone what I'm talking about. I chose to die Giles. Tara didn't. Her life had been stolen from her. Willow's life trampled on in the meantime. I want to do something Giles. Something big"

"Buffy, if that was really what Willow wanted, don't you think she would have done it herself?"

"And take the risk to fail again?" Buffy retorted. "Is she just able to do that again?"

Giles snorted a little at the question.

"The only good question regarding Willow would be to know what she is NOT able to do. But you're right about one thing, she's not herself aware of all her abilities"

Giles sank even more deeply in his armchair and Buffy took back her seat. She moved forward to the edge of her seat and put her forearms on the desk while joining her hands. The former Watcher put off his glasses for the thousand time of the day and wiped them for the thousand times. The light of the desk lamp reflected in the glasses and sent flickering shadows on Giles' face and the office's walls as it was now pitch-black outside. Buffy waited for her watcher to end his task and to look at her again. They stared at each other for a long time, searching, hoping for a backward step in the look of their interlocutor. But the only thing they found there was the same determination.

"I feel I can do it Giles. I owe it to her. Help me"

End of 'Friends'

* * *


End file.
